The present invention relates to a CATV terminal having a timer function for turning on a power at a preset date and time and for automatically tuning in to a preset channel.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional example of this type of CATV terminal. In the Figure, the reference numeral 1 designates a CATV terminal and the reference numeral 2 represents a remote-control unit for remotely controlling the CATV terminal.
The CATV terminal 1 includes a microcomputer (CPU)1a for controlling the operation thereof. The CPU1a operates according to a preset control program. The power supply circuit le is turned on and off by operating a power switch 1b connected to the CPU 1a. The CATV terminal can also be controlled by a remote-control unit 2. The remote-control unit 2 enables the user to control the CATV terminal's power supply circuit ON/OFF control, channel selection, timer function setting, and the like on the basis of a signal sent from the remote-control unit 2 to a remote-control receiving element 1c.
In the case of the ON/OFF operation of the power by the power switch 1b or by sending the basis of signal from the remote unit to a remote-control receiving element 1c, the CPU 1a controls a power supply circuit 1e supplied with an AC power, such as an AC wall outlet, through a plug 1d. At the same time, the CPU 1a controls switch circuit 1f so as to apply the AC power to an external electric apparatus, such as VCR or TV, having a plug 3 connected to a outlet 1g, and the AC power for the external electric apparatus and the power for the CATV terminal are simultaneously turned ON and OFF by the CPU 1a. In the case of setting the timer function, information such as a reception channel, a date, a start (ON) time, a stop (OFF) time, and an output channel, is designated through the key operation of the remote-control unit 2 or by a keyboard (not shown) on the equipment body so that the information is inputted into the CPU 1a, thereby being set in RAM 1h backed up by a back-up battery (not shown).
The CPU1a turns on the power for the CATV terminal 1 at the designated ON time on the basis of the information set in the RAM 1h, and, at the same time, the CPU 1a selects the designated channel and sends out a reception signal as a signal of the designated channel. Further, the CPU 1a turns off the power at the designated OFF time so that a series of timer operations is finished.
In the case where it is desired to record a CATV broadcast automatically by use of the timer function of the above-described conventional CATV terminal, the operation of setting a VCR timer function as well as setting the CATV terminal timer function is required. Because- both timer functions must be set, there arises problems in that the two setting operations are burdensome on the user because he has to set two separate timer functions and in that the recording duration is apt to be unsynchronized with the duration of the CATV terminal activation. For example, if the internal clocks of the two devices are not perfectly synchronized, one device will turn on, and therefore turn off, before another. If the VCR turns on first, then there will be an undesired space at the beginning of the tape, and even more troublesome, the VCR will turn off before the program is finished.
Further, in the case where it is desired to perform timer-controlled TV watching by use of the timer function of the above-described conventional CATV terminal, a TV receiver, with its power button turned on, must have its plug 3 connected to the outlet 1g of the CATV terminal 1 so that the television receiver can be simultaneously switched on to make TV watching possible when the CATV terminal is switched on through the timer operation. There is no problem in the case where the TV receiver has a rotary tuner for performing channel selection mechanically. However, in the case where the TV receiver is of a recent type which performs the ON/OFF operation of the power, channel selection, volume adjustment, and the like, through the operation of a keyboard, the values set by the keyboard operation may be cleared or initialized when the AC power for the TV receiver is cut off. Accordingly, TV watching may become impossible when the TV receiver's AC power is directly switched on and off through the timer operation of the CATV terminal 1.